Celestial Bodies
by Half-elf
Summary: The Sun and the Moon... Late at night, Orihime looks up into the sky and thinks about the two most important men in her life and finds that, maybe, she's been looking in the wrong place the entire time.


Celestial Bodies

By Half-elf

AN: This story is inspired by a line from Philyra's story "Everything." It's part of a AU series and it is absolutely wonderful. If you haven't read any yet, please take my recommendation and read them (my favs are "Everything," "Quando, Quando, Quando," and "The More I See You").

Anyways, the line that inspired this is: "She had always been distracted by Kurosaki-kun's blazing sun, forgetting about the silvery moon that was Ishida-kun." Great line, huh?

Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Bleach, I'm just taking them for a test drive.

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Orihime gazed out her window contemplating the truth behind the celestial bodies.

The Sun: Powerful and straightforward, it moves across the sky, unwavering in its path. It blazes so brightly that everything fades in comparison. Its glitter draws the eye, its light makes others bask in its presence.

The Moon: Subtle and gentle, it does what it needs to quietly and efficiently. It isn't showy like the sun, but rather quietly determined. It doesn't blaze brightly, but shines softly. It doesn't draw your attention like the sun, it's just there.

But she had begun to realize some things about the Moon that she had never noticed before.

While the Sun would come and go, the Moon was always there. Even when the Sun shone, you could find the Moon if you looked hard enough. It was just hard to notice because the Sun glowed so bright.

While the Sun was always intense, the Moon had many faces. Waxing, waning, full, new, blue, white, red… the Moon was complex, deep… Fascinating really.

She sighed. She'd been burned by the Sun, unintentionally, but too often to ignore. But the Moon… the Moon was always gentle, always there.

Raising her hand she let the moonlight play over her fingers. And she wondered… she wondered… why she hadn't noticed Ishida-kun sooner?

Well… she had noticed him, she just hadn't _noticed_ him. But why?

She had known him as long as Kurosaki-kun.

He was as handsome as Kurosaki-kun, just in a different way. A small smile graced her mouth as she pictured him. Dark hair, pale skin, and quick-silver eyes.

He had always been there when she needed him, whatever the case.

He protected her and yet… he still trusted her enough to let her fight her own battles.

She smiled softly. There was the difference. Ichigo would always step in to protect her and, while nice, it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to stand up for herself, to fight for herself. And he wouldn't be able to let her. It simply wasn't in his nature and she simply wasn't strong enough to tell him so.

Uryuu, however, trusted her enough, had enough faith in her abilities, to let her fight her own demons. Oh, he would step in if she needed help, she didn't doubt that. But he would give her time and encouragement enough to do it on her own.

She sank further into the cushions, the moonlight caressed her legs.

She wasn't a strong enough woman for Ichigo. Her bubbly personality wasn't enough to snap him out of his occasional funks. He needed a much more forceful touch. She smiled when she thought of the short, dark-haired shinigami who always seemed to be able to perform that task.

There was no pain when she thought of them together. Not anymore at least. She could never be what he needed. And he couldn't be what she needed.

But, to her surprise, Uryuu was.

Kind, gentle, patient, he grounded her without crushing her spirit. And her liveliness drew him out more into the world. They were good for each other.

She closed her eyes and brought his quiet smile to mind. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. She had always been distracted by Kurosaki-kun's blazing sun, forgetting about the silvery moon that was Ishida-kun.*

But she noticed him now. Oh, how she noticed him.

Stretching, she let the moonlight dance over her body, and smiled.

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AN: Thank you for reading. Let me know what you thought.

And go read Philyra's Strictly Ballroom AU Bleach series. http:/ www. / u/ 246131/


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